Method for establishing and conducting communication between a data source and a user

ABSTRACT

A method of establishing and carrying out communication between a data source and a user, where the communication is effected via a fixed or a mobile network. A program that handles the presentation to a user is placed in a server which is connected to a data source that contains data and which handles data to and from the source such that when receiving information from a user the server clears this information from the layout and protocol and sends to the data source solely interaction data, and, on the other hand, when receiving data from the data source places this data in a correct protocol for presentation to the user on his/her terminal in the right presentation form.

The present invention relates to a method of establishing and carryingout communication between a data source and a user, where saidcommunication is effected via a fixed or a mobile network.

Communication between a data source and a user normally involves thetransportation of a large volume of information through the network forpresentation on the user's terminal. It has become more usual recentlyto require information stored somewhere or other, for example in adatabase in an application in another network, to be presented indifferent ways, depending on the type of terminal used by the user atthat moment in time, for instance in the form of a voice message, anSMS-message, an HTML-message or some like message. If a large volume ofinformation shall be distributed on each occasion, there is created adistribution problem, particularly when the information shall bedistributed through the medium of mobile communication.

Hitherto, when presenting information to a user the data sourceresponsible for distribution of the information to respective userssends the information to the user's terminal together with allpresentation information. As a result, the volume of informationdistributed on each occasion becomes very large and complex.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method inthis regard, that will enable communication to be established andcarried out without always needing to transfer as much information ashas hitherto been the case.

This object is achieved in accordance with the invention by means of amethod in which a program that handles said presentation to the user isplaced in a server which is connected to a data source that containsdata and that handles data to and from the source such that whenreceiving information from a user the server clears this informationfrom the layout and protocol and sends to the data source solelyinteraction data, and, vice versa, when receiving data from the datasource places this data in a correct protocol for presentation to theuser on his/her terminal in the right presentation form.

As opposed to earlier conventional user communication systems, theinventive method is not primarily directed to the presentation ofinformation to the user, but is directed to the interaction between userand data source.

The programs that manage the user interaction are thus placed in aserver, meaning that the data source and its associated computer to befreed from the need to maintain the different interfaces with which datashall be presented to the user. Neither need the data or information betransported to the same extent in both directions through the network.The server includes the programs that handle data from the data sourceand that places the data in the right layout for presentation to theuser. This presentation may, for example, be in the form of a voicemessage, an SMS-message, an HTML-message or some corresponding message.The server is thus equipped with a program for linking data from thedatabase with the user. However, in conjunction with this linkingprocess, data is placed in the layout that is appropriate fordistribution to the user. The server will therefore include severaldifferent programs for handling communication with different types ofuser terminals and for different applications. The programs included inthe server may also be designed to sort out data for differentapplications so as to enable said data to be sent to the data sourcealways in a unitary fashion regardless of application, and so that dataobtained from the data source can be converted for presentation in anyone of the relevant applications whatsoever, i.e in the form that theuser is able to and wishes to receive the information.

The programs included in the server may also be designed to contain acertain amount of dialogue, so that the program is able to proceed tothe next stage without needing to send inputted information back to thedata source and await an answer therefrom. For instance, this may applyto the presentation on a first page where the user is given the optionof choosing between various alternatives and where subsequent dialoguepages that respond to the choices made by the user are stored in theserver's program so that such responses can be presented directly to theuser without needing to revert back to the data source. Certain otherinformation from the user can be handled in a corresponding manner, andif the program in the server is able to deal with the information fromthe user it does so in accordance with the instructions found in theprogram, whereas in any other case the information cleansed from thelayout is sent to the data source for an answer.

The dialogue is separated from presentation and layout information inthe programs. This enables new presentation media to be readily added toexisting applications in the server.

The server is thus able to manage several different applications fordifferent users at one and the same time, and to present theseapplications to the different users with different interfaces.

Parts of the program included in the server may be identical fordifferent applications and may therewith be used in respect of severaldifferent applications. One example of such a program part is a log-inprocedure in which the user is given the opportunity of entering his/heruser-ID and password in preparation for access to a given service. Theprogram included in the server contains dialogue as to how the usershall log-in and allows the user to enter his/her user-ID and password,this information being separated by the server and forwarded to theapplication at the data source for verification and to give the useraccess to further information.

Because the server contains those program parts that handle thepresentation of information to the user and that create a user layoutand also manage part of the dialogue with the user, it is not necessaryto transport this information between the data source and the server,therewith reducing the transmission time and the transmission needbetween data source and server.

1. A method of establishing and carrying out communication between adata source and a user, where said communication is effected via a fixedor a mobile network, characterised by placing a program that handlessaid presentation to the user in a server which is connected to a datasource that contains data and which handles data to and from the sourcesuch that when receiving information from a user the server clears thisinformation from the layout and protocol and sends to the data sourcesolely interaction data, and, on the other hand, when receiving datafrom the data source places this data in a correct protocol forpresentation to the user on his/her terminal in the right presentationform.
 2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that thepresentation handling program is independent of the application used bythe user.
 3. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that theserver is adapted to handle several different applications for differentusers simultaneously.
 4. A method according to claim 1, characterised inthat the program in the server also includes a dialogue facility whichis able to handle user inputs and to respond to the user withoutreverting back to the data source.
 5. A method according to claim 4,characterised in that the dialogue facility is separate from thepresentation and layout data in the program.